A former trial desk clerk in the Manitoba Justice department is warning those pleading not guilty to traffic tickets that an invitation to meet with a Crown attorney is aimed at extracting some money from them.

Darla Hiebert says she quit her job over her belief that those drivers are being persuaded to take a plea deal ahead of a court date. She urges people to turn down the meetings or at least clearly know their rights before taking part.

Hiebert says she quit in October after nine years with Manitoba Justice because she was stressed by phone calls she had to make to people pleading not guilty to such things as illegal parking, speeding, and other infractions.

“It did not make me feel good at all because I felt like I was trying to trick the people into coming in for these appointments. That’s how I felt,” Hiebert told CTV Winnipeg.

“A lot of people don’t realize when they’re coming in for this appointment they’re speaking with the prosecution. The prosecution wants to find them guilty on these tickets.”

Manitoba Justice says the aim of the calling program, launched in February, is to reduce the number of traffic court trials that are set but don’t proceed. A spokesperson said court staff had found that more than half of the cases set to trial were resolved once all parties met on that date, without it actually being heard by a justice of the peace.

The program is not about cutting deals, says Manitoba Justice, but about presenting options to those facing fines. And any cut in the fine is not decided by the Crown or court staff, but by a justice of the peace, said the spokesperson.

“The amount on a ticket might be reduced at their direction, a ‘guilty with an explanation’ plea might result in a reduced fine, people may be given more time to pay if needed, or a not guilty plea could be successful and then they would not be fined,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

But Hiebert says it’s not about presenting people with options.

“It’s just about getting the revenue. It’s about getting them into their office, getting them to accept the plea, which the Crowns are more than happy to do, for a lesser fine.”

Manitoba Justice says more than 1,000 traffic court cases go to trial each month. Heibert says a backlog is putting pressure on the Crown to speed up the process and make money on the fines. Last May, a provincial judge tossed out a woman’s speeding ticket because it took 18 months to get to court.

Len Eastoe with Traffic Ticket Experts says attending a meeting without proper legal representation could lead to paying for a ticket a driver could have successfully fought. Drivers might also not fully understand the effects pleading guilty may have on their licence or insurance.

“The risks are you don’t get the full picture of how it’s going to affect you and what the possibilities are of actually beating the ticket, if in fact that’s possible,” he said.

“The Crowns aren’t going to tell you those things. They aren’t. They will simply map out from their point of view what their case is, educate you a little bit in that regard and then quite possibly offer you a reduction in the fine.”

With files from CTV Winnipeg’s Josh Crabb